Putrajaya’s decision on Sabah rights vindicates Hajiji, says academic

December 23, 2022

Putrajaya’s decision on Sabah rights vindicates Hajiji, says academic

KOTA KINABALU: An academic has congratulated Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) for its decision to be part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government, saying the coalition’s chairman, Hajiji Noor, has been vindicated by a recent announcement from Putrajaya regarding Sabah’s rights.

“It was a political masterstroke,” said Jeniri Amir, a Council of Professors fellow.

“GRS and Sabah have everything to gain and Putrajaya’s decision to hand over regulatory power of Sabah’s gas supply to the state government is an example of this.”

Jeniri told FMT he foresaw the federal government returning more rights to Sabah and Sarawak as pledged under the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 (MA63).

He noted that unity government components Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional had both pledged to empower Sabah and Sarawak and give them a better deal. “They will want to deliver on this,” he said.

Jeniri also said Anwar himself had every reason to deliver on MA63 as this would ensure that his unity government would remain intact.

On Wednesday, Anwar announced that Petronas would hand over Sabah’s gas supply regulatory power to the state. He also said more MA63 issues had been resolved and the details would be announced next month.

Another academic, Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, said Anwar’s announcement reflected well on Hajiji as Sabah chief minister.

“It is good news for Sabah, which has been fighting to reclaim its rights under MA63,” he said.

“It reflects the unity government’s commitment to delivering on promises of Borneonisation and greater autonomy for Sabah as an equal partner in the federation.”